Mydial

A world of dragons and riders.

Flight and Flying Combat

“The skies are ours, mortals, and now you too may share in the joy of our aerial world.”

-Seginous Altus 2nd Commander of the Dragon Legion

Flying and fighting is a key part of the dragon legion in Mydial. Too bad maneuvering in the air can be significantly more difficult than maneuvering on the ground. Without the friction of the ground, for instance, turning becomes an issue. The following overview covers flight rules for movement, as well as flight maneuvers that any dragon can perform.

Ground Level

Flying is separated into two types of flight; ground level flight, and soaring. While flying at ground level, basic movements and turns experience no particular effects. Maneuvering, attacks of opportunity, and other effects apply as normal. Many of your dragon’s abilities, however, are less effective or more dangerous at ground level than while soaring.

Soaring Level

Soaring level is represented by the map grid placed above the ground map. This represents the sky above the encounter area. Typically, Soaring areas will only exist in places where they could logically persist; above wilderness areas, around cities, or over plains. The soaring level is approximately 15 squares –approximatly 75 feet – above the ground. Changing from Ground level to Soaring level takes two move actions, regardless of your dragon’s speed. Any remaining squares of speed may be spent upon reaching Soaring elevation. When you reach Soaring elevation, you may face any direction that you choose.

For example, Jennifer’s Dragon, Kryo has a Fly speed of 10. Jennifer wants Kryo to reach Soaring so he can attack a monster. Kryo has to take two move actions to reach the top, totaling 20 squares of movement. Kryo ascends 10 squares on the first move action, 5 of the second move action to reach Soaring level, and then 5 more in the direction he is facing, totaling 20 squares of movement.

You may not end your move action between Grounded and Soaring, except to execute a second move action to reach Soaring.. Moving and turning while flying is more complicated than on the ground.

Targeting and Soaring

Normally, the range of powers and attacks is not sufficient to reach between Grounded and Soaring. Some powers and abilities, however, have a reach of more than the prerequisite 15 squares of distance between the two planes. In the event that a power has such a range, the attack can still occur. Count the 15 squares up to the square directly above the PC/monster making the attack and then count the rest of the squares on the Soaring plane.

For example, Ben’s character, Zorhen, has a Longbow of Extreme Range +2, which allows him to shoot 25 squares without penalty. He wants to target an overhead Gargoyle with a Twin-Shot attack. To make the attack, he first draws a line connecting his grounded square to the one directly above Zorhen, using 15 squares of his range. If the Gargoyle is within 10 of his Soaring level square, he can make the attack. If not, Zorhen cannot make the attack.

Status Conditions and Soaring
When at the Soaring elevation, some status conditions take on new effects. Keep in mind, these changes only activate when a status in inflicted at the Soaring elevation

Blinded: No change to this status.

Dazed: No change to this status.

Deafened: No change to this status.

Dominated: No change to this status. A dominated target can be forced to descend from Grounded to Soaring, and vice versa, as part of the Dominated action.

Dying: If you are reduced to dying while at Soaring elevation, at the start of your turn, before you make the death saving throw, you fall, at your movement speed, toward the ground. Until you are no longer Dying, you continue to fall. If you recover from the Dying condition, you immediately take on the Prone condition.

Helpless: No change to this status.

Immobilized: If you are immobilized, you descend (not fall) at your fly speed straight down from your current elevation to Grounded. You do not take falling damage.

Marked: No change.

Petrified: You fall at twice your movement speed at the start of your next turn. If you hit the ground, you take an additional 4d10 damage.

Prone: If you are knocked prone, at the start of your next turn, you fall your Fly speed toward the ground. At the end of this, if you use a move action to ‘stand up’, you may return to the Soaring elevation.

Restrained: No change to this status. So long as you are Restrained by a creature with a Fly speed, you do not fall. If the character holding you chooses to ‘let go’ you automatically gain the Immobilized condition.

Slowed: No changes.

Stunned: You fall your fly speed value at the start of your next turn. If you recover from stun during your turn, you are now at the Grounded elevation, but do not take falling damage.

Surprised: No change to this status.

Unconscious: You fall your fly speed value at the start of your next turn. If you succeed at your saving throw, at the start of your next turn you continue to fall at your fly speed value toward the ground. Make a saving throw: on success, you avoid taking the falling damage. On a failure, take ½ the damage. You may only make the second saving throw if you succeed at the first to ‘wake up’.

All other rules for conditions – saving throws, requirements, etc – are the same as those listed in the Player’s Handbook.